Month: March 2017

Everyone is fascinated by the journey of Solar Impulse 2, the first solar powered plane that circulates our planet, and not everyone knows that a very similar journey, by sea, takes place by Solar Voyager. This is an autonomous kayak powered by solar energy thatis supposed to sail across the Atlantic.

The construction is based on an electric kayak called E-Kayak, developed by Klepper, but the prototype is designed for human use, Solar Voyager is a fully autonomous unit.

It can reach a maximum speed of 5 km / h and it supplies 280 W of solar panels, while the energy produced by them is stored in batteries used to travel at night. The kayak also has a GPS receiver that connects to the Iridium satellites, which allows it to navigate based on the programmed points.

Solar Voyager is not a large unit, its length is 5.5 meters and the width is 0.76 cm, while the hull is made of aluminum. The whole weighs about 250 kg, which, as the designers admit, slightly increases the flow resistance, lowering the speed, but thanks to that, the unit is more stable and shock resistant.

Solar Voyager’s mission is to cross the Atlantic and start it on June 1 in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and if there are no problems on the way, it will end about four months in Lisbon. In this way, Solar Voyager will become the first autonomous unit to self-defeat the Atlantic, using only solar energy for that purpose.

If you want to know where the kayak is at the moment, I invite you to – / the project page, where its position is constantly updated. On Twitter, you can find the latest updates on the course of the mission.…

British drivers will soon be leaving the car without leaving their driver’s license. All they have to do is take the smartphone, which will be stored digitally and at the time of the roadside inspection you will be able to show the police as a standard document.

In the United States, digital driving licenses stored on smartphones are nothing new, and a few cities have already introduced such capabilities in 2014. The driver can then not take a physical document with him, and at the request of the police he will be able to show his digital version, which is of course safeguarded against counterfeiting.

Soon, they will also be able to use the British, provided they have an iPhone and use Apple Wallet. The prototype of this digital driving license was presented on Twitter by Oliver Morley, the director of the local communications department.…

Pirelli has just introduced a completely new Connesso platform that will provide drivers with valuable information on the tire. The system works with the Winter Sottozero and P Zero models.

Tire pressure sensors are not new, as they are already available in cars for at least several years. These wireless sensors continuously monitor the pressure on each wheel, informing any irregularities.

However, the tire company Pirelli has created something much more modern, namely the new platform Conesso, which will initially be available in such tire models as Winter Sottozero and P Zero.

What is Conesso? This is a wireless sensor installed on the inside of the tire that collects the data of its work and then sends it to the mobile application. The driver will get information on the current tire status, conditions of use, temperature, pressure and repair. When the pressure drop is suddenly recorded, the application will immediately inform you of this. What’s more, will also show the nearest tire sales point, as well as book a date on the site.…